A Cold PAK
by Invaderdibthing
Summary: Dib finally moved on when his only friend Zim disappeared two years ago. he never expected to see him again especially not on his door step dying. but with Zim back everything isn't all good. Zim didn't come back he was forced back. And what forced him once isn't done with him yet. rated M for language, fighting, torture scenes, and heavy zadr. the title will probably change later
1. Chapter 1

I knew the glue was going to wear off soon, heat was already getting comfortable on my face as I sprinted through the heavy rain. But I didn't care at this point at least HE wasn't getting burned, he'd already suffered enough. I turned down another street praying to irk that the boy had not changed houses. According to earth years he was to be seventeen now almost eighteen. Human children lived in their parent's houses at that age still right? Irk I hoped so. Finally I could see his house in the distant. The glue finally giving in began burning my aching back. "Please be home human" I covered the body in my arms and with a finally push made the down hill trek to save my friend's life.

I tore the glasses from my face and rubbed my eyes. God what time was it? "Dib?" I turned around and saw Gaz she had on her favorite pair of pajama pants and a stuffed elephant with three eyes. Ah it was two in the morning then. She always woke up at two. I motioned her to come inside the lab. Ever since dad had decided to permanently move in the building structure next to the science wing so he could be closer to work his old basement lab became mine. And mine it was. At first I had filled it to the brim with Zim related things, I was going to find him, I had to find him. But a year went by and I started taking that stuff down. I wasn't crazy, he HAD been here, but he wasn't coming back for me. I had to move on. And with moving on I managed to prove to the swollen eyeball that, with a hair sample on the belt sander, bigfoot WAS in fact in my garage. And even more important I had created something greater. A not so pissed at me Gaz.

Gaz came over and sat in the chair next to mine. She rested her head on my shoulder and asked if I was busy. "I made extra this time." I told her gently and handed her a small pill. Every since she finally started getting her period it had been my goal to make something to help her, because Gaz and messed up hormones were never meant to be in the same room. I drank the last soda and it took three weeks for my eyebrows to grow back. So I created this so she didn't get cramps. Kept her happy and me alive. She took the small livesaver and swallowed it without water, when she noticed what I had been working on.

"I thought you said he wasn't coming back?" she moved over and picked up what had occupied my mind for the last six days. GIR's life less body. "Does he... work?" I shook my head and she apologized. When Zim left it had been in a hurry, I had tried to stop him but he was having none of it so I tried to kidnap GIR. Surely he wouldn't leave without him right? What I didn't realize was that GIR's memory chip was in Zim's pocket thus his only needed a new body and I had the empty shell.

"Not without that chip. But his body is fixed and won't explode anymore. He'll still act childish but at least more like a toddler than an ADHD time bomb." she nodded putting him gently back on the table. She sighed again. "Hey what's wrong, pill not working?"

"It's the anniversary. I know you didn't forget." she stated and it was my turn to sigh. It was exactly two years the day Zim left. At first I had been happy he told me he was leaving. I defeated my enemy. But then I was suspicious, he must have been planning an attack but he hadn't. Then I was mad. How dare he leave me behind with these stupid humans! Then I was depressed and begged him to stay. He was my only friend and the only person who believe in half the shit I talked about. That's when I tried to kidnap GIR. Never saw him again. It had taken me a month of depression and questioning my sanity to realized how I really felt about him. He was more than a friend he was my everything. Or had been at least. So I tried to find him. And failed. Even Gaz knew how I felt. I knew I was in bad when she actually didn't make fun of me. I think a part of her was happy I found someone. Back to reality though. I smiled and pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"No I didn't forget. I just have to move on I guess. I'm fine Gaz I assure you. There's nothing to fear." she smiled a little. We both turned when we heard a banging on the door. I'd done it enough to know that sound anywhere. A boot kicking. Whoever wanted our attention couldn't use their hands. "Stay here" I told Gaz I went upstairs and to the front door. I saw Gaz by the basement door. I picked up her old baseball bat and opened the door slightly. I gasped. The bat falling from my hands and the door swung open by the wind. Skoodge looked at me pleading. His head covered in burn marks some I knew couldn't have been from the rain. He looked ready to pass out himself but loyal enough to stand. Loyal, to the irken unconscious in his arms. Zim.


	2. Chapter 2

"Gaz I need another towel. Here take this." I tossed the damp towel to my sister as she went off to get a new one. My mind raced through a hundred different things as my body did seven of them at once. I tried to dry to water off Zim before he was burned. There was heavy laceration all over his body not to mention burn marks, skid marks, god was that a bite mark? And a possible bullet wound. His blood was all over the table and my gloved hands. When I wanted him on a dissection table I never knew I'd get him there. Saving his life. Skoodge was barely better than him but refused any more attention than a towel to dry off with. After the initial shock I had taken Zim from him and he had followed us back down to the basement. There he told us where the worst of Zim's scars were and was silent the rest of the time. Gaz came back and gave me a new towel. I pressed it to Zim's open side to stop the bleeding. Zim was back. I couldn't get that out of my head even under the circumstances. Zim was back. MY Zim was back. And I was about to lose him all over again.

I watched him save him. I could see so many emotions in his eyes. One was anger but I knew he wouldn't hurt Zim. I didn't know Dib like Zim had but I knew enough. I knew without Dib Zim had nothing. I knew when we had left, Zim secretly cried in the back of the ship until his PAK shorted out again. This human meant something to him. If that didn't mean I should trust him with my life nothing did.

His sister knelt down to where I was sitting on the floor, or rather collapsed. She took my hand and started to bandage it. "what happened to you two?" she whispered to let Dib concentrate. I looked at my friend and sighed.

"When he wakes up he can tell you better than I. But-" I gasped when she wrapped a painful spot. She apologized and rewrapped it gentler. "But I can tell that when he does please..." I grabbed her wrist and looked into her eyes. "Please don't be mad at him for anything he says. They broke him down. They hurt him so much, he doesn't know what he's saying sometimes." she nodded and finished wrapping my hand.

"Gaz I need you." she went to go help her brother. I laid my head against the cold stone wall and fell into a heavy sleep.

all of them were asleep. At first Gaz had protested. Saying she wanted to wait for Zim to wake up. But it was four in the morning and she had been through enough trying to help me sew a body close before it bled out. I had seen Skoodge fall asleep. I wanted to ask him so many things but after hearing him and my sister talk I knew I had to hear it from Zim. So they all slept. And I was left with only my questions. What happened? Where had they gone? Why so long? Why were they so hurt? Did they crash? So many questions. But along with those were emotions. I was angry. Why was I angry? And sad? And happy, and confused, and ready to hug him and kill him at the same time? "Ugnh" I whipped my head fast enough to crack it to look at Zim his body unmoving but I knew that sound came from him. Okay calm down Dib. Whatever happens now just stay calm. He's weak.

I approached him slowly and took a deep breath. "Zi-" suddenly his eyes shot open and his hands gripped my throat. "Zim... zim" I tried to pry his hands lose but they were strong, his eyes held fear. Not hatred but fear. As if I had been the one to attack him. "Zim... please" I choked out. He finally snapped and let go. I stumbled to the floor taking in heavy breathes. "God" I rubbed my neck and slowly got up. The irken backed up as far as he could without falling off the table. The sheets tangling around his feet. I held up my hands. "Zim... Zim it's me. It's okay." he looked everywhere around us, his whole body shaking violently. "Zim. Zim. Alien boy?" he looked at me at the last one. Then his eyes went big.

"D-di-d..."

"Sh don't talk. Whatever burned you burned your throat too." he closed his mouth and hugged himself. There had been one time I saw Zim down. It had been during a bad storm and he had slid down a hill, broke his left leg and the mud had rendered his PAK useless. When I had found him and carried him out of the trench he had been looking around everywhere clicking in his native tongue and holding onto my shoulder for dear life. With GIR's story I realized Zim must have been stuck there for three days. Alone... he didn't looked anywhere nearly as bad as he did now. "Zim?" he looked up at me again but before I could save anything he was on me again, this time however it wasn't in violence.

My shirt gripped in each hand he buried his face into my chest and cried. Whatever anger I felt vanished. I held him trying to sooth him. When he finally managed to calm down his face was burned from the tears. He shivered and I took off my jacket and gently wrapped it around him, mindful of the stitches in his side. What had happened to him? Or more likely who had hurt him? I balled my hands into fists. When I found out who had done this it's gonna be my hands around their necks. Zim touched my wrist and I snapped out of my anger. In time I'd get revenge. Right now I needed to stay focused. "Thank... you" I smiled a little as Zim spoke. God it was so good to hear his voice again.

"Get some rest alien boy. You've had a rough day." and it wasn't getting any better tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy jesus I can't even manage to begin of why I've been gone for so long. Just so many things. Anyway if anyone still reads this filth here's a new chapter. (FYI lekku to me are like very Very sensitive ears. Even more so when damaged)**

The silence was actually nice. Last night it had been painful and nerve wracking but now it was nice. Gaz was quick to hold conversation with Skoodge. For the sake of both their sanity and possibly my own she kept it to anything but what had happened. It was almost nine now, five hours since Zim had woken up and attacked me. He had quickly fallen asleep after that and I had moved him to my bedroom. I wanted to move him to our father's room seeing as it would have been cleaner but the familiarity of mine might have helped with his anxiety. Skoodge had woken up then and set up camp with Gaz in the living room. Back to present though. I picked up the bowl of sugary liquid and after making sure both sister and friend were okay I went to see Zim.

I could hear him climb the stairs up to his room. With my lekku being so sensitive it was one of the few times I was greatful for his soft footsteps. Waking up had been a painful rush of nervous ranting, almost ripping open a stitch, and only barely realizing where I was. He was standing outside the room now. Unsure of whether or not to knock and risk awaking me. "You can come in human" I spoke and cringed at how soft each word was. Silence, then he came in.

The first thing I noticed was the bright red spot on the bandages, he might of snapped something. The second thing I noticed was his PAK. The usual bright pink glow I had come accustom to wasn't as bright. "I... I brought you something to eat. I know you might not be hungry but you should..." I didn't trust myself to finish the sentence so I just gave him the bowl, which he took without cause and drank half of it. I pointed to the bed, "Mind if I-?"

"It's your room human" right. I sat down and leaned back against the back board. God I was so tired. But my brain wretched with so many questions that it refused the idea of sleep. We were both silent for a minute until he broke the silence. "I should have never left. I did not have a choice but I shouldn't have left." I rubbed my eyes under my glasses. Give him time Dib, I told myself. He was silent for a bit more, drinking the rest of the breakfast then sighed. "I do not deserve your sympathy or labor of medical attention... it has been two years I believe on earth? I was on quite a few examining tables human and this was the only one I do not believe I should be on. You should not be here. I shouldn't be on earth. Human I shouldn't be living." I broke and grabbed him, I pulled him into my arms and refused to let go.

"Do you know what the worst part was? It wasn't the constant doubt of sanity, it wasn't the mocking of others or even you leaving, the worst part was thinking you would come back defeated, broke, or dead. The worst part was having to beg the sky for you not to come back. For you to have gone wherever you went and done something so great that you didn't need to bother with earth." I pulled him away just enough to cup his face in my hands the smaller cuts had healed but he was still injured.

With his hands on my face I could see his eyes. There was so much sadness in those eyes it hurt even more than the physical pain I had dealt with. I looked down not being able to watch anymore. I grabbed his hands but didn't pull them away. "I gave them everything to try and make them stop. I betrayed you I told them almost everything about you that I knew, that I knew about earth. I should have kept my mouth shut and let them kill me. The pain wasn't that bad but I caved. I should have let them killed me... please kill me I don't deserve to-" his lips suddenly touched my head and the pain melt, the solitary confinement for weeks at a time melted, the starvation and water torture melted. For a second what I had done melted and the pain was gone. He wasn't mad! Oh irk he wasn't mad! He cared for Zim! The human's touch left and he stood up. I could feel the tears burning my eyes but for once they were not from pain.

"you came back, you survived and you came back, and with that you have not betrayed me. Come on... let's go downstairs." with that he held out his hand and I took it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Would you look at that two chapters in a few hours. This proves I'm not dead and you all forgive me right?**

It had taken only an hour of talking to understand what had happened really. But with multiple breaks in between either from exhaustion or pain it was going on almost three. It had started off with a transmission he shouldn't have seen. A servant irken knocking into the video board and accidentally turning on the mic, only for Zim to hear his beloved tallest talking about his inevitable decommission. Angered, afraid, and confused Zim had left earth to confront his leaders only to come to the realization that they along with most other irkens hated him. Down right despised him. But the earth held promise seeing as it was one of the only planets they had ever heard to have sustenance compatible with irken digestion AND the dreaded rain. But Zim had refused, and that's where the pan began.

Zim didn't go into much detail, whenever he tried his voice would catch in his throat and the dim pink light in his PAK grew dimmer. So "it was bad" and "that's all you need to know" he had told us. It was almost an earth year when he found Skoodge. A servant for his tallest but almost as hated as Zim. He fed Zim when he could get away with it and in return Zim promised to try to get him out of here.

"It wasn't easy but we were lucky" Skoodge explained after the third time Zim had to excuse himself. "We managed to hide on a small cargo ship and escape using one of the unloading ships on-board. But after that it was less flying and more dodging lasers. We didn't know how bad we were hit until we landed on-" he stopped when Zim came back in and gave him a small look, Skoodge cleared his throat. "When we landed on Z- lorn78. The vegetation there was thick enough that some of the larger ships couldn't land. We hid there for awhile then moved on." he ended that part short and I knew there was something he wasn't telling us.

They both explained mostly there trip back and how they were finally chased back to earth. "The ship is still in the ditch where it hit. But I highly doubt anyone would notice even if we hadn't camouflaged it." gaz's phone went off and she went out front to answer it. I went to check on Zim who had disappeared out back again but Skoodge grabbed my arm.

"You're smart Dib you know what's missing. You know the armada wouldn't just leave us alone. Especially not in … Zim's condition." he glanced where Gaz had gone off to then back to me. "I didn't know what they had done to him... not until we got to Z-lorn78. Dib both you and your sister are tough beings, I dare say irken soldier material, but there is some things just that she shouldn't hear." Gaz came back in and Skoodge let go of my arm before she could see.

"It's dad he wants me to go to some stupid father daughter meeting. I'll be home in a few hours."

I coughed and felt the cold blood run faster and faster through my veins. "Make it... stop" I threw up and the blood flow slowed. I collapsed against my own acidic bile and my PAK was returned to me. My arms clung to my chest shaking hard. The irken medic checked the reading and turned to a large figure.

"The Pak won't work in these conditions. If you keep running the nanobots through his blood stream he'll lose function before he'll talk. Sir!" the figure contemplated this then came forward, I coward but could not move.

"Tell me Zim how long can you go without your PAK? How long would you last if I crushed it right now? How long would your pathetic planet last if I aimed a thousand-"

"Zim!?" I opened my eyes and realized with a sharp pain in my arms how hard I was shaking. Dib touched them gently and looked at me worriedly. I could already tell he heard enough. "They're going to burn this place to the ground. They don't care what this planet can offer they'll burn it to the ground. They burn it! Burn it! They don't care!" he pulled me into his arms and tried to calm me down. But how could I? I could still feel the rushing bots even now and my PAK shut off again. I shivered and he hugged me tighter.

"Sh I'm right here. We'll figure something out. I won't let that happen." he assured with so much confidence that for a second I believed him. I leaned against his shoulder and he rubbed the small of my back. I was too tired already from the shut off and soon fell into another deep sleep.


End file.
